Bed-frame.



J H. BRADLEY.

BED FRAME.

APPLICATION'HLED DEC. 15.1913.

Patented'Mar. 6, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

m, n i NM \m H ifibeesos- 1 H. BRADLEY.

BED FRAME.

APPLlCATlON ElLED DEC..I5, 1913 Patented Mar. 6, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JOHN H. BRADLEY, or PHILADELPHIAIPENNSYLVAHIA.

- BED-FRAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 6, 191%.

Application filed December 15, 1913. Serial No. 806,900.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. BRADLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Bed-Frames, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to metal bed construction, and the object of my invention -is to provide an improved form of structure for hospital use; being designed more particularly for placing a patient in what is known as the Fowler position. This position is necessary or desirable in the treatment of certain kinds of surgical cases, in order to assure the greatest comfort of the patient and as aid to the success of the 1 treatment.

My improved construction involves the entire bed which has a plurality of bed bottom fabric supports, some of which are adjustable, while one is permanently attached to the side rails of the bed frame. This portion, or a part of the adjustable portion may be apertured for the use of a bed pan.

These and other features of my invention are more fully described hereinafter, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1, is a perspective view of a bed frame made in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, is a side'elevation of the same, showing it in one position of use;

Fig. 3, is a side elevation of the same, showing the bed in another position of use, and

Figs. 4:, 5, 6 and 7, are views illustrating details of the construction forming the subject of my invention.

In the drawings, 1 and 2 represent, respectively, the head and foot frames of a metallic bed. The legs 1* and 2 of these portions are provided with a suitable form of bracket attachments 3 forming supports for brackets lat the four corners of a frame comprising side rails 5 and end rails 6 which may be made of angle iron or other suitable material; suitably connected to the tions of the bed as at 5 carried by a brackets 4 or otherwise stayed at the corners thereof, which corner brackets engage the brackets 3 of the head and foot frames. The side rails 5 of the bed frame are notched adjacent the head and foot porand 5, respectively, and suitably secured to said side rails and overlying the said notches are guards 7 and 7 for a purpose hereinafter set forth.

The bed frame is provided with a bed bottom fabric 8 of any suitable character, plurality of supports of a special character, one of which is fixed, while the rest are adjustable with respect to the main bed frame carried by the head and foot portions 1 and 2.

Pivoted at 10 tothe side rails 5 of the main bed frame, is one of the supplemental supporting frames, consisting of side bars 11 and a connecting end-piece 12; the support or frame so constructed receiving one end of the spring bed bottom fabric 8. This support or frame has each of its side bars pivoted at apoint above a corresponding side rail, 5, and said bar lies in the vertical plane of the upstanding flange of the rail so that when the support or frame is lowered into its horizontal position, the side bars, 11, thereof, will lie substantially parallel with and will be disposed directly over the side rails, 5, and over the notches therein so that they serve substantially as guards for these notches. The support or frame carries arms 15 pivotally connected at 16 to its side bars 11; the opposite ends of which arms are connected together by a cross-bar 17. The cross-bar 17 is adapted to rest in the notches 5 of the side bars 5, and by its position therein elevate the said support or frame as may be desired. To

facilitate adjustment of this support or frame, the guards 7 are provided, which guards prevent the cross-bar being lifted too high, and also serve to prevent the supports flopping about when the bed frame is taken down for any purpose. In order to properly manipulate this supplemental frame or support, the side bar 11 of the same may be provided with handles or ras s 18.

Directly adjacent the pivotal connection of the supplemental supporting frame with the side rails 5 of the bed frame, I provide a fixed portion of the bed bottom fabric support or frame which comprises short side bars 21, more particularly shown in Fig. 4, carried by brackets 22 suitably connected to the side rails 5 and disposed in such a position as to be in the same horizontal plane as the side bars 11 of the firstmentioncd supplemental support or frame when the latter lies against the side rails 5 after folding. The bed bottom fabric 8 is connected to the side bars 21, and the side rails 5 may be stayed and braced against lateral displacement adjacent said side bars 21 by means of a cross-bar 24.

The bed bottom fabric connected to the side bars 21 is particularly adapted to receive and support the buttocks of the pa-- tient; thereby affording greater" comfort than with the use of ordinary adjustable bed frames, and this portion of the bed bottom fabric may be and preferably is wide enough to permit aperturing for the convenient use of a bed pan to relieve the patient, if desired.

Pivotally connected at 25 to the side rails 5 of the bed frame and adjacent the side bars 21, is a second supplemental bottom fabric support or frame, hinged in the middle, which frame consists of pairs of side bars 26 and 27 pivotally connected together and stayed and braced at the hinge portion by a cross-bar 28; the bars 26being pivoted at points above the side rails, 5, and said bars, 26 and 27 being disposed in the vertical'plane of the upstanding flanges of the side rails whereby when sa1d bars are lowered into substantially their horizontal position they will overlie the side rails and the notches therein and serve as guards for said notches. The side bars, 26, are pivoted to brackets 29 carried by the side rails 5, while the bars 27 are connected together and stayed and braced by a cross-rod 30. This cross-rod 30 is adapted to en age the notches 5 in the side rails 5, and adjacent these notches, the guard 7 is placed to prevent dislodgment of said cross-rod. For ease in manipulating the hinged frame, the side bars 26 may be provided with handles or grasps 31.

The arms 15 connected together by the cross-bar 17, and the side bars 27 connected together by the cross-bar 30, come outside the side rails 5 of the bed frame, as clearly indicated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and such construction aids in staying and bracing said bed frame against lateral displacement or distortion. The side bars 27 are of angle iron, and the ends connected to the cross-rod 30 are cut away, as clearly shown in Fig. 6, so as to overlie the side rails 5 for the purpose described.

The bed frame may be additionally stayed and braced by another cross-bar 32, disposed nearer the foot of the bed. The hinged bed bottom fabric support or frame made up of the side bars 26 and 27 and the cross-rods 28 and 30 laterally staying the same, has the bed bottom. fabric 8 connected therewith in the usual manner; is continuous from end to end of the several adjustable and fixed supports. There are no cross-bars or braces beneath this bed bottom fabric to cause discomfort or annoy the patient, excepting the cross-bar 28 hinging the side bars 26 and 27, and this cross-bar is disposed substantially at the bend of the knee of a patient occupying the bed.

When the bed frame is to be removed from its connection with the head and foot frames 1 and 2, the guards 7 and 7 retain the crossbars 17 and 30 in position and prevent the several supporting frames from swinging about; greatly facilitating the handling of the structure. The guard 7 is disposed inside the side rails- 5, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 5, while theguard 7 is connected to the side rails 5, inside and outside, to properly accommodate the side bars 27, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 6.

In Figs. 2 and 3, I have shown positions in which the bed frame may be placed, should the'condition of the patient or the treatment to be administered so require. This adjustment is efiected by the use of separate caster-legs, clearly shown in Fig. 7, which may consist of a hollow rod or bar 35 adapted to fit within the legs 1 and 2 of the head and foot frames 1 and 2. These bars are perforated the reception of a support or pin 37 upon which the legs 1' or 2 may rest, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. By the adjustment of the head and foot frames as well as the adjustment of the bed-bottom fabric supports or frames, the patient may be laced in any desired or convenient postion or the desired or required treatment prescribed.

I claim:

A bed frame having side and end rails 5 and 6, respectively,,and having a plurality of sup lemental supporting frames provided with side bars 11, 26 and 27; said side rails 5 standing on edge and having notches 5 in their upper surfaces, and said side bars 11 and 26 being pivotally secured at points 10. and 25 above the siderails; each bar 11, 26 and 27, lying in the vertical plane of acompanion side rail substantially horizontal position to overlie the latter and the notches 5 therein and to for-ma guard for said notches, a bed bottom or apertured at 36 for.

5 and adapted when in a 8 extending from end to end of said frames, elevated guards 7 and 7 at the head and foot ends of the said side rails and disposed lengthwise of the same, one of said guards being disposed interiorly with respect to the side rail and the other being disposed exteriorly of said side rail, and arms 15 pivoted to said bars 11; said arms 15 and the bars 27 having their free ends overlapping. the side rails 5 provided with means for engage- 1o ment with the notches in said side rails.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of 

